Method and apparatus for forming substrate for semiconductor or the like

Abstract

In an apparatus which determines characteristics of a thin film according to the present invention, a temporal change in a refractive index n and an extinction coefficient k of a thin film in a period from start of a change in the thin film as a processing target (e.g., melting) to end of the change (e.g., solidification) can be obtained with a high time resolution of pico-seconds. Based on this, it is possible to know a progress of a change in state of the thin film (e.g., crystallization) or a transition of growth of crystal grains in units of pico-seconds.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Divisional Application of, and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from, U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 717,552, filed Nov. 21, 2003, and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-341330, filed Nov. 25, 2002. The entire contents of each of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining characteristics of a semiconductor thin film. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] For example, in regard to manufacture of a thin film transistor for a switching element of, e.g., a liquid crystal display apparatus or an organic electroluminescence display apparatus, M. Hatano, S. Moon, M. Lee and K. Suzuki, (C. P. Grigoropoulos), Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 87, No. 1, 2000, pp, 36 to 43, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Enables accurate, high-speed determination of thin film characteristics, including refractive index and extinction coefficient, with a high time resolution, effectively evaluating crystallinity and detecting changes during melting and solidification processes, thereby improving the reliability of semiconductor thin films.

Problems solved by technology

For example, a time of melting, a reflection factor or a transmittance is obtained from this one set of information, and it is thus difficult to determine important optical characteristics of the thin film such as a refractive index or an extinction coefficient in order to evaluate a degree of progress that the thin film is crystallized.

Further, it is substantially impossible to measure a change in the reflected light intensity concerning a melting-solidification process of several-hundred ns, i.e., a degree of progress that the thin film is crystallized with a time resolution higher than 1 ns.

Therefore, the characteristics of the thin film cannot be correctly specified in the prior art, and there is known that a defect of, e.g., electrical characteristics is generated in a liquid crystal display apparatus or the like using as a switching element a thin film transistor having an unsurely evaluated thin film.

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